Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-22
THE SMOKE PICTURE.
A New, Easy, and suggestive Method
of Making Black and White-Work.


at present, for at that time nothing was
established and every painter had TO
make his own colors, canvases, and
sometimes the implements he used.
Nowadays they are still an inventive
class, for To secure "A method OF paint
ing which shall be distinctive Of his
own work only a painter is obliged TO
try new processes and combinations
OF processes until he reaches one which
thoroughly satisfies his desires. The
results of such research are sometimes
seen in our exhibitions. especially in
black-and- work. The monotype.
painting made with printers ink on
waxed paper, is one of the more re-
cent inventions of the kind. The pc
culiarity of the monotype was its facility
of handling and certain rich quality
of color which compared well with the
etching. The first monotype was made
on copper plate. and then was trans
ferred to paper, having been apparent
" suggested to the author by the rub
bing' process in etching. Only one
impression of such plate could be
made, and the experiment has proved
practically useless TO the arts.
4 still more recent invention, and
with more novel and valuable effects, is
Mr. w. Hamilton Gibson's smoke
picture. Several of these smoke pic
lures were recently shown in the
rooms of the Authors club, where
they received very general commenda-
ton for their broad and striking effects.
The smoke picture appears to be
something entirely new. 1t may be
briefly described rs black-and-whi
made by a gas flame upon a cardboard
or paper ground. I'm Mr.. Gibson's first
experiments he held the paper before
horizontal flame, and by passing one
part after another across the flame Sc
cured masses Of lamp-black, which he
found he could manipulate afterward
to great pictorial advantage. In this
awkward.manner he was able to evolve
a landscape OF decided suggestiveness.
Later he attached rubber tube TO his
gas-fixture and with a suitable nozzle
at the end was able 10 sit before his
easel and manipulate the gaspipe as he
would a brush. After this innovation
he was able to obtain greater accuracy
and TO study better his effects.
After the paper has been coated well
with varying shades of gray and black
it presents perhaps the suggestion only
of landscape or figure. Detail may
then be put in with a brush. with tho
finger, or with any desired implement.
Where the removal of the black by this
means leaves too white a surface the
gas flame passed quickly over it will
subdue it as gradually as may DC
wished to a deeper tone. In its prcsGS
state the smoke picture is in its infan-
cy, but it is certainly a promising one.
Led to it by desire to secure some re-
lief from the excessive detail Of his or
binary method, Mr. Gibson was as
tonished and charmed with the results
of his experiment Every touch Of the
flame seemed TO suggest new theme.
The whole was broad, yet marked with
graduations so delicate as to be inimit-
able by any ordinary method of black
and-white work. Meanwhile the bold
and intense blacks assumed rich, vel
vety texture and depth which seemed
remarkable. Unfortunately, the quail
ty disappears under spray of fxative,
the liquid apparently forming solution
with the lampblack, which losses its
character by the displacement of its
particles. Could some other method Of
preserving it be found it would add to
the sum of our knowledge in art new
black by the side of which the ordinary
ivory and lamp blacks would appear
light
The pictures which have thus far re-
suited from Mr.. Gibson's experiments
are above all broad and suggestive.
The process is so rapid that its value
for skctching purposes is already as
sured. 1t shows itself furthermore
capable of giving remarkable "qual
ties, ;" beng capable of the softest and
smoothest of even surfaces or of the
most bold and broken, according to
the implements used to man. pulate it,
the texture of the underground, or pc
cularities of application.
Mr.. Gibson hopes to carry his expo
riments stu further and to test the
value of his smoke picture for illustra-
tive purposes. Meanwh lie the process
is so easy and material so cheap tina
numbers will doubtless try it for them
selves Nel0 York. Commercial Adcer-
tiser.